Weekend Weight Gain: This Is a Good Reason Not to Fear It

If you've ever noticed there's a difference between how well your jeans fit on Friday versus how they fit not quite as well on Monday—it makes sense. Weekends mean different routines, lots of errands (and/or chances to be lazy), tons of dinners out...and, honestly, that can mean the weekly healthy menus you've been working with can sometimes go right out the window. (Been there. Oh, gosh, have I been there.)

In the small study, 80 people were split into groups (losers, who had lost at least 3 percent of their body weight; gainers, who had put on at least 1 percent; and maintainers, who were between 1 and 3 percent). All of the participants weighed more on Sunday and Mondays. But the "losers" tracked lower weights during the rest of the week, meaning they compensated for what they'd put on during the weekend throughout their work week.

Ultimately, this could underscore something experts have been saying for years: Not denying yourself ice cream or a cronut isn't going to undo all the other healthy habits you've been working on. Says Brian Wansink, one of the study's authors: "Some indulging during weekends makes no harm, but for successful weight loss, it is important to notice these rhythms and take steps to reverse the upward trends."

So what do you think of the study? And what are your weekend eating habits like?